Publication Order of Harlequin Christmas Anthologies

About Nora Roberts:

Nora Roberts is an Irish-American author of more than 200 romance, romantic thriller, and romantic science fiction novels, and one of the most respected and recognizable writers still working today. She has been lauded as being one of the most prolific authors of the late 20th century, and has has penned more than 80 bestsellers under various pseudonyms. Her books have explored the depth of human emotion, while still being paragons of storytelling and the art of drama.

Who is Nora Roberts?

Nora Roberts was born Eleanor Marie Robertson in Silver Spring, Maryland in 1950. She was raised Irish Catholic, and attended Catholic School until her sophomore year, when she transferred to Montgomery Blair Public High School, from which she graduated in 1968. Having no formal training as a writer, and no tertiary education, she also never wrote for pleasure throughout school, though she has described herself as being a wonderful storyteller, and inventing stories and fabrications, some of which are still believed by her mother today. Married for the first time in the summer of the same year, she settle in Keedysville, Maryland with her first husband, who worked at a family business. Still not writing, she spent most of her time caring for her two sons and doing crafts.

Early Prose

The impetus for writing came during a heavy snowstorm in the year 1979. Snowed in, she began to put ideas to paper, and these notes soon became a manuscript for what would become a later novel. She soon had six completed manuscripts that she submitted, without success to, Harlequin Publishing, being rejected multiple times. She found success with the newly formed Silhouette Publishing,with her first novel, Irish Thoroughbred, being published in 1981.

Writing more than 20 novels for Silhouette, she was encouraged to begin writing under a pseudonym, J.D.Robb, to allow her new publisher, Putnam Publishing, to publish more of her work each year. Writing under the J.D.Robb handle, she began writing romantic suspense novels, the first being published in 1995.

Also under the J.D. Robb pseudonym, she began work on her most influential wring, what would become known as the “ In Death ” series. The first novel of the series details the working relationship of a futuristic detective and her husband in 2050’s New York City. Each set of books in the series are designed to be read ad trilogies, as is much of Nora Roberts’ work, enabling the author to fully flesh out the characters and themes of her works, as well as adding intricate and developed plot lines that are hallmarks of her style.

The ”In Death” Series

Being her most popular series to date, the “in Death” series is comprised of almost 50 novels, all published between 1995 and 2013. The series contains elements of romance, science fiction, thriller, and police procedural that meshes and blends together perfectly. The first book in the series, Naked in Death, was published in 1995, and made the New York Times Bestseller List shortly thereafter.

Naked in Death details a the murder of an influential, affluent prostitute and the character Det. Eve Dallas’ attempt to both solve the case and reconcile her feeling with the death of a young women whose death she could not prevent. The book draws heavily on science fiction motifs, while remaining strongly grounded in reality and veering away from fantastical settings. The novel also details the relationship between Detective Dallas and enigmatic wealthy Irish businessman Roarke, who is the primary suspect. The book was released to such glowing critical and commercial praise that the second novel, Glory in Death, was published only a few months after the initial publication of the first novel. The sophomore effort for the “In Death” series, Glory in Death, revolves around the murder of a prominent attorney for the District Attorney’s Office. It introduces many recurring characters, including Officer Delia Peabody, and further details the world of 2058 New York City. Glory in Death was received as a more complete and mature novel, fleshing out the future setting while retaining the elements of romance and suspense that made the previous novel successful.

Other Works

Besides the “In Death” series, Nora Roberts is know for her prolific and immense body of work, routinely writing and publishing an average of 15 novels per year. She is best know for publishing trilogies of romance thrillers, which, according to Nora Roberts herself, allows the work come together more completely, and enables a more fluid and accessible storyline. Published almost exclusively in paperback from, most of her work in this genre is created this way to enable fans of the series minimum downtime between novels, allowing them to complete the story sooner.

Nora Roberts’ work is regularly adapted into television and mad-for-television films for the Lifetime cable network. She became the first author to ever have her work adapted consecutively by the network, and multiple works of hers, have been adapted since. Some of the most viewed programming has been the network’s adaptations of Montana Sky, Blue Smoke, and Carolina Moon.

Activities out side of Authorship

In 1997, the author that was the cause of her being turned down by Harlequin Publishing in 1980, Janet Dailey admitted to plagiarizing numerous passages form many of Nora Roberts’ works. After a lawsuit was settled in her favor, she donated the entire proceeds to the Literacy Volunteers of America Foundation. This is not her only work with charity, however, as she is also a frequent contributor to numerous other charitable foundations, with the Giving Back Fund report regularly listing her as one of the most charitable donors.

Her work has been honored by numerous awards, and she was the first writer honored with induction to the Romance Writer’s Hall of Fame. She Was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in 2007, and since 1999 every one of her published romances has been listed on the New York Times Bestseller list. She lives in Boonsboro, Maryland with her second husband, Bruce Wilder, and they jointly operate a bookstore called Turn the Page Books. An avid reader, she loves the Internet, using it for much of her research, and is terrified of flying.

Master of the standalone thriller genre, Shari Lapena, is back. Author of The Couple Next Door and A Stranger in the House, An Unwanted Guest is the latest novel by Shari. It takes place in a cozy mountain lodge in Winter where various people are staying for a romantic getaway. A blizzard cuts off the power and any contact with the outside world so everyone settles in for the long haul. Then a guest dies. And another. Knowing Shari's other books, this should be one we'll be reading late into the night. For more details or to pre-order, visit our Shari Lapena page.

Recommendations

Every 2 weeks we send out an e-mail with 6-8 Book Recommendations. We'll base this on various factors for example "If you like Jack Reacher..." or "If you like short stories in the horror genre". Insert your e-mail below to start getting these recommendations.

MISSING A BOOK?

I do my best to make sure the book lists are complete and current, but due to human or machine error while attempting to keep 3000+ authors up to date, the occasional book can be missed or will be listed under an alternate title. If you see one missing just send me an e-mail below. Thanks!

Author / Series

Book(s)

Featured Series

Our book series of the month is the Will Robie Series by David Baldacci. If you like Mitch Rapp, Jack Reacher, Jason Bourne etc then you'll love the Will Robie series. These are page turners to the max too and Baldacci knows how to keep you going all night long!

Featured Author

Bill Wenham is the author of various book series including The Inspector Charrington Mysteries and the Inspector Bruce Mysteries. He just started writing in his 80s to follow a life long dream. It’s an amazing story and the books he has written are pretty great too – his passion really shines through. Read more about Bills books.

Did You Know…

That author and short story master Joe Hill is the son of Stephen King? Born as Joseph Hillstrom King, he wanted to succeed on his own rather than due to his famous name, and has published many books under the name of Joe Hill.